Taroena and Tiriúna

poem by Ruth Salles

there at the gate
from the disenchanted tree fern
the witch Taroena lives
of slippers and chinos.

and what does she say
in your quiet tone,
purring in the serenity,
by the wind, by the dust?
“Imbé creeper
there's a broom on your foot…”

in xiquexique
crackling and prickly
lives the witch Tiriúna
so xendengue and so chué.

Don't say-that-say-that,
what did you say strange,
with your catty way,
splashing foot-to-foot?
“The one who flew was the crane.
If you don't come, I won't…”

Vocabulary for “Taroena and Tiriúna”:

– cancels: kind of low gate, with only one beam, that goes up and down.
– tree fern: trunk of certain ferns.
– chino: wig.
– imbé: type of aerial root vine.
– broom: in this case, hanging filaments.
– xiquexique: species of cactus.
- crackling: crackling, crackling.
– xendengue: skinny.
– chué: poorly arranged.
– splashing: beating your feet in the mud.
– crane: bird that passes announcing very cold winter.

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